Posts Tagged ‘US’

Most households in the US should be receiving their 2010 Census forms this week. Data from the census, which happens only every ten years, is used for a variety of things, including appropriation of health care dollars that eventually affect you and I. Census data is used in planning for hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and other health care facilities. It’s used in creating more efficient maps to facilitate the speedy arrival of emergency services to your home. It also helps to direct health care services for those in poverty. Questions on the census relating to one’s race and ethnicity also help to identify services of importance to certain racial or ethnic groups, such as screening for hypertension or diabetes in Asians and Latinos. Keep in mind that the census does not ask about your visa or residency status, that is not the point. It merely collects demographic data on individuals living currently in the US. Read more about the 2010 Census.

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The US now has surpassed Mexico as the nation with the highest number of confirmed cases of the H1N1 (swine) flu. According to the CDC, the current U.S. cases number approximately 2,600, compared with Mexico’s 1,600. However, the total of 3 deaths due to H1N1 in the U.S. is far lower than in Mexico where 48 have died. The rapid increase in U.S. cases is likely due in part to testing kits that have been rapidly distributed across the country by the CDC, thereby facilitating detection.

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US president elect Barack Obama stated that his administration will invest money to make sure that the health records of all Americans are computerized in the next five years. Estimates have put the cost of such an endeavor in the billions. However, the move is intended to eventually save Americans billions in health care costs. More importantly, electronic health records have been shown to improve patient care by reducing medical errors. Obama’s plan is to eventually have one standard electronic system that all health care facilities will use. This certainly will not be an easy task given the commercialization of health care in the US today. On a related note, beginning this month Medicare will begin to offer incentives to physicians who prescribe electronically.

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